Wild berries and mushrooms produced over 10 million euros in 2009

Last year’s wild berry harvest produced a profit of approximately 8.7 million euros. Also wild mushrooms proved to be profitable with a yield of two million euros. The highest earning berry and mushroom pickers roamed the forests of north and east Finland. The figures were presented by an inquiry by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, entailing the entry of wild berries and mushrooms to the market through the most important enterprises in the sector.
 
Last year’s blueberry harvest was more abundant than in general, doubling the previous year’s amount to a total of three million kilograms of berries. The income generated from blueberry picking in the entire country was 4.1 million euros, which makes blueberry the most profitable wild berry. Health benefits of blueberries and their excellent export possibilities have increased the berry’s market value.

Other popular wild berries besides blueberry are traditionally lingonberry and cloudberry. Also some black crowberries, cranberries, wild raspberries were picked for sale.

Foreign berry pickers had a significant role in last year’s berry harvest, especially in the Provinces of Oulu and Lapland. Berry pickers who started off with blueberries and lingonberries now also pick other wild berries as well as mushrooms.

The commercially most popular wild mushroom by far is porcini, or cep. Last year’s porcini crop was over 350 tons, which is the same as the year before. Other popular commercial mushrooms were for instance different varieties of milk-caps, chanterelles, and morels.

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